Education Practicum Effects on Professional Identity of EFL Pre-service Teachers in China: To Be More Confident

Abstract

ABSTRACT While education practicum has been widely used in China as a teaching major method, how education practicum affects EFL (English as a Foreign Language) pre-service teachers’ professional identity is relatively underexplored. Therefore, the paper aims to fulfill this gap and investigate the influence of professional practicum on EFL teachers. To achieve this goal, this paper describes the consensual qualitative research in the perspective of multi-dimensions among EFL pre-service teachers who are studying in a language university. Research has found that educational practicum has positive impacts on the professional identity of pre-service teachers. (1) EFL pre-service teachers have more comprehensive understanding of teacher professionalization, and teaching processing (2) The positive feedback of students enhanced pre-service teachers’ devotion and love of teaching as career or profession. (3) The emotional experience during the internship is also an important factor that affects pre-service teachers’ professional identity and teaching self-effective.